Blackboard acquires X-Ray Analytics

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Dive Brief:

Blackboard acquired predictive analytics tool X-Ray Analytics and soon will offer the tool through Moodlerooms, the Moodle learning management system, and other platforms.

X-Ray Analytics will give instructors more holistic information, allowing them to aggregate student performance data at all levels through a cloud-based tool.

The open source tool creates visualizations of the data for easier comprehension and offers predictions about student performance to facilitate early intervention.

Dive Insight:

Increasingly sophisticated analytics tools are helping campuses address student retention and success challenges by aggregating data about their performance across all of their classes and comparing it to students throughout the institution. Early intervention is credited with improving student outcomes. If it means the difference between passing and failing a course, early intervention can end up reducing the cost to students of their education. Additionally, schools that have greater numbers of students successfully completing courses and degree programs will be more likely to get state funding as legislatures shift to awarding education dollars based on performance rather than simply enrollment.